This blog replaces the earlier archives I had posted on the Internet and includes various memos sent to the clients of the VitaminLawyer.com (now the Vitamin Consultancy). It includes archived copies of memos from 2004 through 2007 and subsequent memos will be posted as they are issued.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

01/06/09 - Trends for Nutrients for 2009

0. News - Health Freedom Reaches Round Two!1. Nutrient Trends for 2009 – Top Ten Trends------------------------------------------------------0. VL Blog NewsBlog: http:// vitaminlawyerhealthfreedom .blogspot .comHealth Freedom reaches Round Two on Change.orgClick here www. change.org/ideas/view/health_freedom to Vote to Bring Health Freedom’s Perspective to the New AdministrationInvitation from Gen. Stubblebine to support Health Freedom:www .healthfreedomusa.org/index.php?p=1735Health Freedom is Our First Freedomwww .healthfreedomusa .org/index.php?p=1733Please note: all URL links are “broken” so AOL and other providers will not treat this eMemo as “spam.”-----------------------------------------------1. Nutrient Trends for 2009www
.nutraingredients-usa
.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients/Industry/A-Nutra-eye-on-2009/?c=gbrnO2ewSG0ZwRqSh95F1w%3D%3D[I’m
forwarding this article in full, since it is so full of useful
information. Please read on to the Ten Top Trends at the end of the
article! R]A Nutra Eye on 2009By Shane Starling, 23-Dec-2008As
we wind down the online printing presses here at NutraIngredients for
2008, it seems appropriate to cast our eyes forward and locate those
trends that are likely to battle for the functional foods and
supplements spotlight in the coming year.The
momentum of areas that have dominated in 2008 such as probiotics,
omega-3s, superfruits and weight management remains strong and seem
certain to continue registering fat blips on the commercial and consumer
radar in 2009. The interest you, our readers, have shown in these
topics confirms this fact.Despite
the ongoing frustration of scientific studies that ask of vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants, herbs and other nutrients that which they were
never meant to deliver – like curing cancer or treating severe
depression – the year ahead looks promising for their use in an array of
matrices from supplements to cosmeceuticals to functional foods and
drinks.Built to purposeWith
the financial climate bringing closer scrutiny to business and personal
budgets alike, there is an argument that sales of healthy foods and
supplements may benefit because individuals place greater emphasis on
maintaining wellness through dietary choices, rather than face often
exorbitant costs in the medical system.As
Julian Mellentin, author, consultant and editor of monthly trade
journal New Nutrition Business, observes in ‘10 Key trends in Food,
Nutrition and Health 2009’: “The effect of a slowdown will be to
reinforce the core nutrition business trends and sweep away the fads and
the peripheral ideas.”In
countries where state health support is minimal, this is especially the
case, and makes a lot of sense as it allows healthy foods to play the
role they were designed for – maintaining wellness and preventing
disease – rather than some kind of silver bullet fired out of a shoddy
gun. It’s a suss strategy and one that can only make pumpkins of all
concerned.If
price premiums can be kept low, a process that should be assisted by
falling energy and transport costs after a couple of years of steep
rises, then a greater percentage of the population is likely to take an
interest in foods with a ‘healthy halo’.The
year promises to be very interesting in terms of the way the ‘health
halo’ can be marketed, with crucial European nutrition and health claims
legislation reaching fruition in early 2010 and the resolution of the
GSK weight loss petition expected in the US. With hundreds of millions
of dollars and euros hanging in the balance, industry awaits with baited
breath.Top trends: Digestive healthOf all the categories predicted to shine in 2009, most of the trendspotters place digestive health near the top of the pile.The
probiotics and prebiotics-dominated area had an impressive year,
especially in North America where the Dannon’s probiotic spoonable and
drinking yoghurts continued their remarkable ascent into the
consciousness of mainstream America.The probiotic market there has surged past €500m from virtually zilch less than five years ago.Mellentin
ranked digestive health as THE KEY TREND for 2009, just as he did in
2008, and he noted the importance of efficacy in their success, as well
as its overlap into the area of immunity.Probiotic
products, along with energy drinks, probably stand-out, as products
that have consumers, as Mellentin says, “feeling the benefit” very
quickly.“Digestive
health is a wellness issue that affects everyone; it is more important
to consumers than heart health or cholesterol-lowering or any other
medicalised issue,” he wrote.Fibre, fruit and fruit juice as a non-dairy medium, would also play key roles in the digestive health area this year, he noted.Omega-3There
are some, Mellentin included, who feel there is more hype to the
omega-3 boom than hard sales, but as the major marine-sourced, omega-3
trade group, GOED, states, the category is still in its relative
infancy.While
breakthrough mainstream sales in omega-3 foods and beverages are as yet
few and far between, product launches are flooding the market in many
regions and companies are refining their marketing ploys to match
increasing consumer knowledge.But
there have been high-profile product withdrawals causing some to
question the strength of public interest, but this is hard to gauge as
supplement sales remain buoyant, and even those that have mounted them,
have admitted to mis-directed and executed marketing campaigns.It
will be an interesting year for omega-3, but with its well-documented
brain, heart and other health benefits, it is hard to see the ingredient
falling too far from the spotlight in 2009, especially as formulation
improvements continue, thereby increasing the potential for high-dose
functional foods, which may go a long way to improving their all-round
saleability.Weight managementDespite
greater awareness of dietary pitfalls, endless government ‘improve your
lifestyle’ campaigns, and a general shift from the mainstream food
industry to healthier foods, ‘globesity’ remains a major problem in many
countries, and so ingredients and foods that can offer assistance in
this area have an instant appeal.There is also a large market for the non-obese who seek to control their weight or even their body shape.Most
large ingredients companies have an offering or a whole suite of
offerings in the area ranging from plant extracts, to protein forms to
salt, fat and sugar replacers and all offering either calorie burning,
fat burning or satiety benefits.Plant-based
solutions took a blow in 2008 when Unilever pulled the pin on its
hoodia ambitions, but with obesity rates surging in the developing world
– especially in China, India and many other parts of Asia – it’s an
area that will consume the attention of many in this business in the
year ahead.FruitSuperfruits
have won a place in the mainstream, with sales of prominent forms like
cranberry, pomegranate, goji and acai doing well in many western
markets, and usually at significant premiums.With
the novelty factor just about worn off, it seems superfruits, at least
some of them, are here to stay, and they may kicked open the door for
new form of ‘regular fruit’ marketing also.“Ten
years from now, if science can substantiate the many benefits now
emerging, the term ‘superfruit’ may become redundant – and fruit, like
dairy, may be a vehicle for delivering a wide array of health benefits
to consumers,” wrote Mellentin.We could go on, but it may be time for a probiotic juice drink. May your choices be fruitful in 2009.Mellentin’s top 10 trends for 2009 are:1. Digestive health2. Feel the benefit3. Weight management4. Energy5. Naturally healthy6. Fruit: the future of functional foods7. Kids’ nutrition8. Snacking9. Target the loyal niches10. Packaging and premiumization

About Me

The Vitamin Conslutancy - www.vitaminconsultancy.com -- I practiced law for 36 years in NJ (1971 - 2006), gaining a reputation as The Vitamin Lawyer, representing people in the Natural Products, Dietary Supplements and CAM (Complementary and Alternative Modalities) fields. Now I provide educational services and I consult with lawyers and other professionals, formulators, manufacturers and purveyors of natural and nutritional products, as well as with CAM enterprises and practitioners.
I started these blogs to comment on health and freedom issues and to provide an archive of information for my clients and associates. This is a private expressive association communication.
I have been a trustee of several NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) including the Natural Solutions Foundation - globalhealthfreedom.org - Institute for Health Research - inhere.org - Sound Health Research Institute - soundhealthresearch.org and LifeSpirit Church - lifespirit.org